Playing With Fire
by fooboo24
Summary: She had protected him with everything she had and would continue to - and now, it was Roy's turn to show his own commitment to her, the side she never allowed him to reveal. Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye. Royai. Takes place in Brotherhood, before Roy and Riza meet Ed and Al.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own FMA:B!

~P~

_Playing With Fire_

~P~

"That's the third alchemist... this _week_, Lieutenant Hawkeye." The man's voice was strained as he relayed the news to his superior officer, who sighed in frustration before dismissing him.

Riza Hawkeye, as well as the rest of the Eastern Command, hadn't a clue as to what was happening in East City – only a couple of few weeks beforehand, alchemists all over the city begun dropping like flies to a mysterious killer. There were no leads as to who it was – an organization? A single person? Every single murder was executed differently, making what little information the military had gathered about the cases even more skewed. The most logical conclusion was that it was a group of people, but there was no reason to believe this idea other than the conjoining fact that the targets of the murders were all alchemists, a set target of victims. There was no way to connect each murder to an organized act other than by assuming, though – and that wasn't something that the military could afford to do lightly.

Shaking her head to try and clear it, Riza walked away from the crime scene and down an alleyway – she needed a moment if she was going to be able to think clearly when it really mattered. Riza had killed many a person before – shot them down point blank with her trusty rifle – but seeing a broken body so close up still left her unsettled. She had never had the misfortune of looking at her victims after she'd killed them, but she had more than enough experience in those past weeks viewing those of another person. And while killing a person was just that, Riza couldn't help but compare between the clean kill of bullet and the horrible, mangled murders she was forced to document. All of the crimson blood and torn skin was enough to drive a normal person insane – but then again, Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was no ordinary human being. She knew this was something she would have to deal with when she joined the military and she had accepted it wholeheartedly – and so as sickening as it all was, she couldn't back down now. This was her duty and she needed to pull through it. When she had made considerable distance between herself and the murder scene, the Lieutenant exhaled heavily and leaned against a wall. Her first moment of peace – seemingly so, as her mind was teeming with hectic thoughts – that day was interrupted by a familiar voice at her side.

"Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere. Sergeant Kemmerich needs you to—" Rebecca paused and looked at her best friend, who was hunched over and wiping at her brow. Despite already knowing the answer, Warrant Officer Catalina asked, "Are you all right?" Her dark eyes were flashing in concern for the blonde woman before her, who immediately straightened out and began walking back to the scene.

"Of course I am, Officer," Riza told Rebecca, who rolled her eyes and began to follow her friend.

"Relax the formalities," she caught up to her and began walking in step beside her. "It's Rebecca, not Officer." The pair walked in silence until they were nearly at the beginning of the alley, before Rebecca placed her hand on Riza's shoulder and stopped her. The Lieutenant's brow furrowed at her friend, who flashed her a sympathetic smile. "I know this must be difficult for you – you're basically heading this investigation – but if you want to talk about it, I'm always here, Riza. You don't have to shoulder all of this by yourself."

A part of Riza flooded with relief at Rebecca's words – she could always count on the flirtatious dark-haired girl – but a larger part, the part that needed to constantly be on top of things came forth instead. Rebecca felt Riza stiffen, before responding with, "I need to be as involved as I can for the benefit of Colonel Mustang – you know that. He needs the clearest information he can from someone he trusts." At this, she continued walking back towards the barricaded area of the murder. Rebecca groaned – of course, Riza would put up a wall like that – before running after her again.

Deciding that obsessing over the topic wouldn't get either of them anywhere, Catalina switched the matter of discussion. "Speaking of Mustang," she began, "normally you two are attached at the hip – you accompany each other to these kinds of things, so where's he at?"

Riza, glad that her friend had given up trying to get her to vent, answered easily with, "He's back at headquarters discussing this whole case with Lieutenant General Grumman. They're trying to make sense of the few details we have concerning all of this. The Colonel put me in charge of this certain investigation in place of his absence." And honestly, Riza preferred keeping Roy as far as possible from any such activity, for her own peace of mind. Though a part of her was struggling with being away from him, as it was her sole duty to protect the man, she felt more at ease knowing that he wasn't at the source of such act that was committed on his own kind – an alchemist. Out of the alchemists that had been killed, three had been State Alchemists, and though they didn't seem to be the main targets for the murders, Riza was still antsy every time Roy approached the scene of a freshly slain alchemist. She felt like he was unconsciously upping his own chances of being next, and so keeping him as far as possible from them was something Riza hoped – even strived – for each time a new case popped up.

Silence fell over them before Rebecca, her mind having wandered to the pair's plans that night, piped up, "So, are you looking forward to the double date tonight?"

Riza's eyes widened – she'd nearly forgotten! – before she sighed. Honestly, with all that was going on around her, this was a less-than-ideal time to be doing something trivial like going on a double date, but if her friend had anything to do with it, then there wasn't any way in hell she could get out of it. Hinting at her displeasure, Riza answered back with, "Hasn't Lieutenant Gunter been sick all week? Why should I be going out with him if there's a chance I could contract what he has?"

"Oh, Alaric's fine!" Rebecca waved her hand, a goofy smile stretching on her features. Riza watched as her friend's mind literally transitioned from work to men, rolling her eyes. "I saw him this morning along with Dirk. They were collecting some paperwork and both seemed to be in tip top shape! And besides – why are you putting off Alaric? You two seem to get along fine the last time I checked."

It was true – Second Lieutenant Alaric Gunter was not a horrible man, if a bit odd. She didn't dread seeing him, but didn't look forward to it, either. He and Riza had been on a couple of dates – all set up by Rebecca and her insistence – and she had to admit she found him good company. He was attractive, with blonde hair not unlike her own and dark, piercing green eyes, and he had a nice personality, though he was a bit chatty for her liking. He liked to write when he wasn't working, he was a decent chef, and unlike Mustang, _always _handed his paperwork in on time and even spent hours after work studying in the libraries. He was oddly diligent in his reading of texts, but Riza figured this wasn't a bad thing. A little extra knowledge never hurt a soul.

Sure, Riza liked him, and sure, she would see him again if it meant shutting Rebecca up. But he wasn't a necessity – or the distraction she so desperately needed – in her life, unlike how Rebecca treated her new boyfriend – and Alaric's best friend – Sergeant Major Dirk Dresden. She'd honestly rather be tying up loose ends on cases with the Colonel – she had to keep her eye on him, she always had to – than be out and about with the blonde Lieutenant, but she would never let her best friend know that. A part of her that she had tucked away for years – but nagged on her every time she saw the man – told her that her sole reason for seeing him wasn't only to quiet Rebecca; no, it was the help fill in a hole in her heart left by another, but each time this possibility entered her thought process, she swiftly blocked it out with something else.

"I'm not," Riza explained pathetically, ignoring the way her heart was thumping in her chest. "But you know I have a lot on my mind right now. I have to constantly look after the Colonel and then deal with these cases. It doesn't leave a lot of time open for dating, Rebecca."

"Hey, I find the time to maintain a healthy social life," Rebecca countered with a laugh. The pair of friends neared the crowd of military policemen and higher-ups, and just as Riza was about to branch off, Rebecca clapped her on the back. "Just promise me you'll come tonight, all right?" Rebecca stared at Riza until the Lieutenant's shoulders dropped and she relented.

"Fine," she answered, walking off to discuss matters with Kemmerich. "I'll meet you at the restaurant at eight."

Rebecca grinned before waving at her friend and going her own separate way. Riza watched Rebecca run off before sighing – maybe she did need some new friends beyond Roy and Rebecca. Friends that wouldn't force her to do hours of paperwork after work hours and go on ridiculous double dates.

~P~

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

Riza immediately straightened up and faced her superior officer. "What is it, sir?"

Roy Mustang blinked at the blonde woman in front of him – she seemed to be more wired than usual. "Are you all right? You seem to be tense." Riza was beginning to get annoyed with the question that seemingly everyone was asking her, but to hear it from the Colonel caused a different reaction in her – she did in fact tense, and she stared back at the man before directing her wide gaze to the ground.

She knew she couldn't hide her stress from him – they'd known each other for years, nothing was secret between them – but she thought that she had hid it well enough up until then that he hadn't noticed. Unknown to her, he'd been observing her slight changes in behaviour for those past few weeks, and just now, when they were alone in his office, had he decided to bring it up. His concern for her had grown far too much, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. When she didn't answer him, he opened his mouth to ask again, but she cut him off quickly.

"I-I'm fine, I can assure you," she responded, cursing herself for the shakiness in her voice giving her away. She had made sure to be extra careful about her ways around her Colonel – she couldn't afford for him to get sidetracked with something so insignificant as her singular wellbeing. She needed him to stay focussed on the murdered alchemists investigation, not worry about her. Now, instead, she had to convince him that she was perfectly well – she had to strengthen her wall. She didn't make eye contact with him – his dark eyes were much too imploring to look into directly – but instead waited for something to break the unbearable silence, hopefully his acceptance of her false words. When it became apparent he wasn't saying anything, Riza became desperate for anything to break the tension between them, and so casting her eyes to the clock, noticed the time and hopped up. "Sir, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask if I could put off working after hours tonight?" She hated the reminder of the date, but was reluctantly grateful for its usefulness in the situation.

Roy, now curious and distracted from his previous inquiry, leaned on his desk and raised an eyebrow at his subordinate. "Of course. But if you don't mind my asking – why?"

Riza became flustered – she didn't want to tell him, though she couldn't quite place why. But she knew she would have to provide him with an answer if she wanted to get out of the office and away from his questions as soon as possible, so with a hiss of distaste, replied, "A date."

Roy's eyes widened – since when did his Lieutenant _date_? – before feeling his gloved hand curl into a fist and his chest clench. He knew he didn't have any right to tell Riza not do go out with another person, especially when he was such a serial dater himself, but he couldn't help but feel selfishly when he thought of her with another man – she was supposed to be devoted solely to him, was she not? So another man was technically not needed in her life, yes? Roy knew that his reasoning was completely unfair and that he couldn't justify it, and so he didn't make the poisonous comment his tongue wanted to spit out when she looked up at him. He knew that the date was more than likely Rebecca's doing, but he still couldn't help but feel so uneasily about it. "I see," was all he said, his face blank, despite everything swirling within him. Clearing his throat, he nodded at her, "You are dismissed, Lieutenant."

Riza stood up and began to collect her things and reassemble her scattered paperwork, and Roy couldn't help but silently note how rushed she was about doing so. When she was finally ready to leave the Flame Alchemist all by his lonesome, she made her way to the door hastily and began to slip out. Roy glared at the floor, trying but failing to resist the urge to speak to her one last time for the day, before calling out, "Please, be careful, Riza. I couldn't stand to think if something happened to you because of me." His tone of voice was softer than before, and it made the Lieutenant stop and blink at him, her heart thudding gently in her chest.

It was a mutual thing, Riza knew – both didn't want the other to get harmed, an even though Riza wasn't an alchemist, she was close to the most powerful one in Amestris, and so was a prime target if need be. Offering him a small smile, Riza skipped the formalities for once and nodding, said back, "You, too, Roy. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." And at this, she was out the door and the Colonel was left by himself, and he was surprised and saddened by the pang he felt in his chest when he realized how utterly alone he felt in that moment.

~P~

"So how has Riza been doing this past week, considering I haven't seen you at all since our last date?" Alaric asked casually, leaning his elbows on the table and giving the woman in question a smile. The distracted Lieutenant simply stared off into the distance behind him, and he gave a slight laugh before reaching over and placing his hand over hers. The contact – which sent an unpleasant jolt through the blonde's system – caused her to come back down to reality, instead of worrying about a different man altogether, and she blinked at Alaric, trying to regain her wits.

"Hm?" she hummed, lamely attempting to get involved in the mostly one-sided conversation again. Alaric chuckled at her again before squeezing her hand, and Riza pulled it away under the guise of pulling her hair out of her eyes. The gesture was too intimate for the independent Lieutenant, and she wasn't about to let it go on any longer than it already was.

"You seem a bit out of it," he noted, focussing on her a little too intently for Riza's liking. It was then that she saw his lips forming the question she had heard one too many times, and before he could ask it, she waved her hand.

"I'm all right, Lieutenant Gunter," she assured him, her life just as flimsy as it had been when she had told it to Roy. The difference between Alaric and Roy, though, was that the Flame Alchemist could immediately realize how blatantly she was fibbing. Alaric hadn't a clue to how Riza was actually doing, instead taking her word and nodding at her. The blonde man took the opportunity to dive into conversation again, with him gabbing on incessantly, and this time, Hawkeye made sure to put enough effort into listening to and acknowledging him that he wouldn't feel the need to break her out a stupor again. Every time it was necessary, she gave him a little nod or a word of feigned interest, and while she could manage this, she couldn't help her eyes from travelling around the room, bored and disinterested with the topics he was trying to discuss with her. Rebecca and Dirk weren't as loud as they normally were – they were both very expressive people – but instead were using all their combined strength to keep from grabbing each other and kissing right there. The lust in Rebecca's dark eyes was apparent, matching that of her boyfriend's just across the table.

Riza rolled her eyes – it was painfully obvious how badly her friend and her boyfriend wanted to leave the restaurant, and honestly, Lieutenant Hawkeye was done for the night, as well, but not in the same way. She no longer wanted to listen to Alaric talk but didn't know how to dismiss him subtly without seeming tactless. Her thoughts of how to escape home were broken by Dirk's deep voice, though, hailing down a waiter for a cheque. Rebecca's hand wrapped around his and she turned to face Alaric and Riza. "Dirk and I were planning on going back to my place after this," she purred, barely resisting the urge to side glance at her beau. Alaric nodded but Riza rolled her eyes – she honestly didn't understand how her friend could be so... mushy. Rebecca's gaze locked on Riza's then and she gave her a devilish look – and it was in that moment that Hawkeye realized just what Rebecca was pulling her into. "And we were wondering if you two would like to join us? For a drink or something? You wouldn't have to stay all night if you don't want to... whenever you two feel the need to go off and do your own thing, you totally can." At this, Rebecca very unsubtly winked at Riza, who was about ready to burst at the seams at her friend's ridiculous words and insinuations.

"I'm up for it if Riza is," Alaric smiled over at Riza, silently asking for a conformation. She blinked between him and Rebecca, her best friend's dark eyes glinting at her. She would never hear the end of it if she denied the offer – Rebecca would goad and goad her until she accepted – but at the same time, she wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. She had to go in early the next morning so she could look further into the details of the case that occurred that day, and she wouldn't be able to do so as efficiently as she wanted if she didn't obtain a good amount of rest beforehand. She continued to weigh her options silently, but waited too long to provide Alaric with an answer, because before she knew it, Rebecca leaned over, grabbed her wrist and was yanking her up.

"She'd _love _to, Alaric!" she blurted out cheerily, making her way with Riza in tow towards the exit. Fluttering a hand at Dirk, she called, "We'll meet you two outside!" And at that, she pushed them out the door of the restaurant and into the cool, nippy air of the night. She forced them to walk a few paces before stopping, smiling widely at Riza and nearly shaking her. "You're welcome," she told the Lieutenant, who side-glared at her.

Riza wasn't about to yell at Rebecca – she had no idea the real reason why she didn't want to do anything with Alaric, despite the lack of chemistry she so clearly felt, for the Lieutenant had never made it a point to tell her friend about the tattoo and scars on her back. And if she couldn't tell someone like Rebecca, then there wasn't a chance that she was going to let Alaric see them. Only one person had ever been allowed to view them – and it would remain this way. Folding her arms across her chest, Riza opened her mouth to protest, but in that moment, the two men exited the restaurant and joined them, stealing away Rebecca's attention.

As the raven-haired Warrant Officer flounced off with Dirk Dresden ahead of the two remaining souls, Alaric offered his arm to Riza, who took it with what she hoped wasn't noticeable reluctance. Following after the overly eager couple, Alaric continued his endless barrage of words at her, which Riza responded to with properly timed gestures of acknowledgement. When a yawn nearly left her lips and she was told the time by Dirk – it was only nine thirty – it was then that she realized just how long a night she was in for.

~P~

Riza couldn't recall a time when she saw Rebecca so eager to get into her apartment, fumbling with her keys when the four arrived at the door. She kept side-glancing at Dirk with a lusty hint in her dark irises, prompting the blonde Lieutenant to roll her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. Alaric stood too closely to her, gripping her shoulder with his arm as they entered Rebecca's living space. She was more than glad to volunteer to be the one to retrieve the desired alcohol from her best friend's kitchen if it meant that she wasn't sharing her personal bubble with the clingy Alaric any longer.

It didn't take long before Rebecca was inebriated, Dirk following closely behind at tipsy. Alaric became even louder and chattier than usual – was that even possible for him? – but was far from drunk, and Riza, never one for impairing herself so recklessly, instead only took very brief, spaced out drinks. When the time came – meaning when her friend was so drunk she wouldn't notice – Riza planned on making an excuse and escaping the scene. But right then wasn't an option – because as much as Rebecca was hanging on Dirk, she was shooting looks back at the blonde pair, grinning stupidly as if prodding Riza to make a move.

"Oh, you!" Rebecca shouted loudly at Dirk, whose face split into a grin, before leaning down to steal a long kiss from her. Riza blinked at her friend, trying to understand what part of getting completely wasted and then participating in mindless sexual acts was appealing. It hit her like a brick, though – Rebecca had crossed the imaginary line and was no longer paying attention to Riza and her date. She could make a run for it if she wanted to! Deciding to seize the moment as instantly as it came to her mind, Riza looked at the door and was about to stand when Alaric wrapped his arm around her waist and pinned her firmly to his side, the same obnoxious smile directing its way to her when she looked up at him.

"I don't think I've told you just how beautiful I find you, Riza," he told her, his face pressing down on hers. She could feel his breath, slightly tinged with the smell of alcohol, against her cheek and decided that was enough – she couldn't put up with his ways anymore. Nice guy or not, Alaric Gunter seemingly didn't have boundaries and that was something that needed to be corrected. Placing a hand on his chest, she began to push him away as he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss, but both effectively stopped in their tracks when Rebecca let out a startled shout from beside them.

Looking over at her, she saw that Dirk was atop Rebecca and was holding her wrists above her head in a lock. The Warrant Officer was blinking up at her boyfriend, growing pain evident in her eyes, while his own reflected something sinister. Rebecca squirmed and trying to get out of his grasp, but he would not budge. Riza tensed – the look in his Dirk's eyes was no longer the kind one she had seen all night, and for some reason, the atmosphere of the room seemed to change for the worse. Something was happening, and Riza could feel it.

"Babe," Rebecca said, looking up at Dirk. "You're hurting me – could you ease up a bit?"

A smirk played on Dirk's lips then, stretching across his face as he leaned closer to her, pinching her wrists the closer she got, causing Rebecca to writhe again. Riza could no longer take it and standing up swiftly, prepared at any moment to shoot the gun fastened to her thigh, commanded, "Let go of her, Dresden, and keep yourself in check." The Sergeant Major acted as if he didn't hear her at all, continuing to press against Rebecca. Stepping forward, Riza grabbed his upper arm and shoved him away, "I said get off of her!" A part of Riza was confused as to why Alaric wasn't helping defend Rebecca, but she got her answer a few seconds later when the blonde man in question had seized her arm in a hold behind her back.

"I suggest you keep out of it," he whispered into her ear, and Riza struggled to get out of his grasp.

The scene was silent for a few seconds, with Riza watching Rebecca continually protest against Dirk's suddenly odd behaviour, and figuring that avoiding a confrontation was for the best, began in the calmest voice she could muster, "Care to explain what's happening here, Lieutenant Gunter? Just a few minutes ago you were trying to make a move on me and now you're restraining me? What's up?"

"Let's just say you'll know more when the time comes," Alaric replied cryptically, his hand gripping her forearm tighter to the point where she knew it would bruise noticeably. Riza gritted her teeth, but still kept her calm facade – all she had to do was keep it up, and in the last second, she could pull her gun on them... "But for now, you can know this – we've finally got you where we want you. We've got no need for your annoying little friend any longer."

Riza's eyes widened, her brain going haywire from the comment. Hearing Rebecca squeak from beside her, her forced peace broke, causing her to twist her arm with as much power as she possessed and reach for her small rifle. The second she felt the familiar metal of the trigger against her fingers, she wrenched out of Alaric's grasp and behind him. The blonde man blinked at her agility, but took no time to let shock set in before trying to restrain her again. He aimed a punch at her that just narrowly missed, and when she heard Rebecca shout again only for the sound to be muffled by Dirk, she finally snapped and shot at the man in front of her, the bullet skimming his shoulder, causing him to fall to the floor to grip the wounded area. "You bitch," Alaric mumbled, pulling his hand away temporarily to assess the damage before putting it back.

Riza didn't care to trade snide comebacks with the blonde lowlife, and so turning toward Dirk instead, she pointed the gun at him with the intention of scaring him off and away from Rebecca. The man blinked at her, but Riza wasn't given any time to react as Alaric knocked the gun from her grasp, the device landing on the marble floor with an audible clunk. He wrapped both of his arms around the entirety of her small frame now, no longer holding back on using his strength to keep her at bay. His arms were squeezing her too tightly, to the point where regaining her breath was nearly too difficult a task for the Lieutenant.

"You couldn't just cooperate and come easily, huh?" Dirk placed a firm slap across Rebecca's cheek before leaving his position atop her to retrieve Riza's gun. "Should have suspected this from you – you _are _the Hawk's eyes, after all. It would only make sense you'd carry a gun on you at all times. Too bad this time it's not going to benefit you, though." He loaded another round and before Riza could register what was happening, it was pointing at Rebecca and the blonde Lieutenant's mind went completely blank in her panic.

Rebecca simply stared at the gun pointed to her chest, her body shaking. Dirk closed an eye to make sure he aimed as accurately as he could at the Warrant Officer's heart, but Riza's kicking protest broke his concentration. "Stop!" she cried out, and with a groan, Dirk looked at her, although Alaric's hold on her strengthened painfully. "Stop, I-I said. I don't know what it is either of you want – but don't hurt Rebecca if all you want is me. Take me but leave her alone – please, don't hurt her." Dirk's eyebrow raised in question then, and she gave the answer he was searching for, the one that would convince him. "I'll cooperate accordingly if you do it. I won't make any trouble for you if you just leave her out of it."

"You're not in a place to be gambling life here, Miss Hawkeye," Alaric spat in her ear, but Dirk held up his hand to quiet his friend.

After letting the offer sink into his mind long enough that he could consider it, Dirk shrugged and dropped the gun to his side. "Fine, then. You come along without a struggle, and we'll leave Rebecca be." Riza didn't relax despite his words – a part of her was telling her that he had complied too easily and that she shouldn't give in. But at the same time, a wave of relief washed over as they began to exit the apartment. Maybe they would keep their words, plain and simple...

Riza and Alaric were in doorway when Dirk raised his arm again, aiming at Rebecca all over again, who was still paralyzed to her sofa. Immediately, Riza knew she had been lied to, but before she could make a struggle, one of Alaric's arms wrapped around her mouth to keep her quiet. "You really are too trusting, Riza," he whispered huskily into her ear, before adjusting the way he was holding her so that she could watch the shooting head on. Riza tried to turn her head away from the scene unfolding, but Alaric wouldn't allow her the escape. With wide, horrified eyes, Riza observed as Rebecca was shot in the leg and arm, but never once fatally. Warrant Officer Catalina sank to the floor and groaned once Dirk was finished, placing the rifle into his jacket for further use if needed. Riza screamed as Rebecca's eyes fluttered shut, and Alaric's arm constricted her breath even further until it felt as though she was suffocating, her head swimming from the lack of oxygen. "You just don't know when to shut up, eh?" Alaric spat at her and she bit him, causing him to jerk her head back violently and pull her hair.

"I've ensured that she won't be getting in our way – hell, she even has a bit of time before bleeding out to think about what's happened. I mean, it's not like we could actually let her live – she knows too much!" Dirk laughed then, Alaric's following shortly after – the two chortles were enough to make Riza sick. She kicked her legs furiously in one last futile attempt, but stopped moving altogether when she felt something make contact with her head, hard and fast and staggering. "Won't you stop already? Can't you see your struggling is useless?" Dirk bellowed in her ear, his voice growing more and more distant with each passing second, and with a start in her chest, she realized she was losing consciousness and that she was losing it fast.

But she couldn't – she needed to stay alert for Rebecca's sake. She thrashed around with what little strength she had last, all of her breath leaving her lungs forcefully when Alaric tightened his hold. "You really must want Catalina to suffer," Alaric hissed. "Or else you would stop making such a goddamned fuss." Riza barely registered his words, but managed to follow his movements as he released her a bit to retrieve something from his pocket, allowing for a short burst of air to enter her airways again. "Honestly, Dirk – I don't think a few bullet wounds are enough. What do you say? Care to make this a little more interesting?" At this, he held out what he had gotten from his pocket – a lighter, and though they were no Roy Mustang with his show of explosive fire power, Riza knew that they could still do considerable damage with the small device if used properly. And she knew that they intended to do as much harm as possible.

Dirk laughed again for conformation, before bending down in front of Riza. She just barely made out his malevolent expression through her blurry vision. "It's time to say goodbye to your friend," he told her tauntingly, "because she's about to go up in flames."

Riza's body went rigid in panic at his words, but she hadn't anytime to lash out for he smacked her over the head with the gun again, this time solidly knocking the blonde Lieutenant out.

~P~

Roy Mustang sighed heavily as he walked out of the entrance of Eastern Headquarters. Despite the hour and the stressful work he had been doing all day, his mind was abuzz – with one thing. His Lieutenant. He had been overly worried about her from the moment she had left the office for her date; something just didn't seem right to Colonel, and so it had been nagging him since. "I don't need this," he muttered to himself as he walked down the steps. Pulling a hand through his dark hair, he groaned, "I have enough on my plate with these damned murder cases... and besides... you can trust her... you always have..." He scowled, "She's perfectly capable of protecting herself, Mustang." It was then that the Flame Alchemist realized that he was outright talking to himself, and even if there was no one around to witness such an event, he still blushed and ceased speaking.

He was halfway to his vehicle when an idea struck in his mind. Once he was in the safety of his car, he unconsciously began what he had just forced himself to stop doing. "Still, though..." he muttered, pulling off his gloves and placing them on the seat beside him. "A little visit couldn't hurt, now could it? Just to check up – put this pointless anxiety to rest." Feeling the sudden need to justify why he would be going to see her, he searched his brain for a satisfactory answer. "B-besides, I mean, I can fill her in on what Grumman and I decided..." At this, he went to turn his keys, completely set to carry out his plan, but his action was halted when something that sounded akin to explosion went off outside. Roy froze, before looking out his mirror, and instantly his eyes caught sight of the orange glow of fire – something he knew all too well – coming from the soldier living quarters.

It took no time whatsoever for it to register in Roy's mind – something was going down, and he needed to be there to stop it. As he jumped out of his car and ran towards the burning buildings, it faintly entered his mind that it might be another murder, this time against a State Alchemist, and that running in by himself was thoughtless, but he couldn't just stand by.

With adrenaline pumping in his veins, it didn't take long for the Colonel to arrive at the scene – and surely, he was right, for there the apartment was, crumbling and aflame. As he stared at it, he couldn't shake the slight familiarity the place held – most of the military's soldier corridors were designed to be the same, but this one was newer and larger, built for higher occupancy. His eyes scanned the block for people – and people they were, soldiers flooding out from their places to observe the disaster from afar. It was then that his dark eyes landed on a car, and that's when it hit him – this was Rebecca Catalina's apartment block. He only knew because the vehicle was the Warrant Officer's, and because he had twice been dragged to the place for tea by Riza.

Even the smallest association to his Lieutenant scared the man more senseless than any of the murders had – if his suspicions were correct, and if Rebecca and Riza had gone back to the Warrant Officer's apartment... then there was a possibility, however slight, that she was somewhere in the burning mess. His heart plummeting in his chest, Roy pushed through a crowd of people aggressively and approached the entrance of the building. Most of the residents, he had figured, had evacuated the place already, and he knew that it would be no time at all before a team would arrive to extinguish the place – and so his eyes began to search the crowd desperately, searching for Riza's face, or even Rebecca's. All he needed was a familiar face so that he could gain the answers and reassurance his pounding heart so desperately needed.

When he didn't catch the amber eyes of his adjutant or the dark ones of Rebecca, panic set in at its fullest and without a second thought, the Colonel plowed through the entrance of the building, not caring how the heat rushed out and burned at his skin. From behind him, he heard the shouts of people, but he didn't care – no, he needed to find her, he needed to find Riza, he needed her to be safe and okay...

In the back of his mind, Roy knew he was being incredibly irrational and that she probably wasn't even there if the evening had ended the way she wanted, but he couldn't take chances with Riza, because if something happened to her he would never forgive himself. So as he pushed himself forward despite the flames licking at his ankles and arms, he kept his mission and destination fresh and intent in his mind.

Mustang inwardly cursed to himself when he got to the third floor – his vision was blurring, his head spinning and his lungs aching for oxygen the air didn't contain. He remembered faintly that Rebecca's apartment was located on the fifth floor, number... fifty eight? His mind blanked and he doubled over, coughing violently. He needed to check the place and then get out of there before he was the one who burned, and so heaving himself forward, he made his way to the next set of stairs and began climbing with much difficulty.

By the time he was nearing what he suspected was Rebecca's apartment, he was narrowly resisting collapsing from the lack of air he was receiving. "Dammit, Mustang, just a bit farther," he scolded himself, taking a heavy step forward. Through the smoke in front of him, Roy made out the somewhat familiar number of Catalina's apartment on a nearby door, and so squaring his shoulders, he barged through the door, which crumbled in his wake. The Flame Alchemist threw out his hands as his irritated eyes were forced to close because of the tears stinging them, searching for something, anything that could guide him. "R-Riza?" he coughed out, "Riza?! Lieutenant Hawkeye!" As he feared, but also suspected, not an answer was given back, and so tripping forward a bit, he tried again. "Catalina? Rebecca?" His chest seized up a little more each time his calls went without a response, and despite knowing that his efforts were becoming futile, he continued, his voice raw and strangled. "Riza!" he shouted, taking several strides around the smoke-packed area before his foot bumped against something. Roy tried to step over what he suspected was a piece of furniture, but when it moved groggily and he heard the form groan through the sound of the flames, he forced his eyes opened and bent down. Reaching his hands out, he grasped the person's shoulders desperately and a few seconds later, his eyes presented him with the crumpled body of Warrant Officer Rebecca Catalina. His eyes widened before filling with tears from the smoke once again, and he wiped at them feverishly before turning the woman's face to look at him. As was to be expected, she was nearly out cold and was murmuring to herself mindlessly. Pulling his hand away temporarily, Roy was horrified to find his fingers coated in her blood and when he looked down to where he had placed his hand on her arm, he saw the source of the liquid – a bullet wound, deep in her forearm and bleeding profusely.

Though his brain wanted nothing more than to question his Lieutenant's friend right then and there, his body and instincts knew that the pair had to get out of the building before it collapsed on them – and Roy had to get Rebecca the medical attention she so obviously needed. Taking mind of the one out of two wounds he knew about, Roy scooped the woman up with as much strength his weakened muscles could manage, and began to exit. He narrowly missed getting crushed when the ceiling fell in behind him, but the close call was enough to kick start his adrenaline levels so that he was able to push through the falling debris and flames without as much difficulty as when he had entered.

When the exit of the complex came into view, partially blocked off by raging flames, Roy doubled his pace and paid little heed to the pain that overcame his body with each step. He was so close; he could see the street and people... So as soon as he trudged out the doors, the fire burning his skin, he landed hard on his knees and just barely resisted dropping Rebecca to the ground out of the exhaustion seizing his entire frame. His lungs stung with each deep intake of breath and his head was pounding excruciatingly. He barely registered as two people approached him and carefully removed Rebecca from his tight grip, and he watched as they brought her to a waiting stretcher, relaxing as he realized they were medical personnel. All around him was chaos as a team of medics helped victims and a group of soldiers worked to extinguish the building before the fire could spread.

Roy took a few more moments to compose himself before the original source of his entering the flaming building struck him – Riza, Riza, _Riza_! Standing up abruptly, the Flame Alchemist shakily made his way over to the stretcher Rebecca was laid out on, paramedics buzzing around her to treat her. Several people tried to restrain him but he brushed them off once, twice, thrice and violently swung at the fourth person before those surrounding him took a hint and backed off. He could get medical help later – right now he just needed to know where Riza was, and Rebecca was the only person who knew that.

Bending down next to her stretcher, he watched her closely for any signs of consciousness. It took a few painfully long moments, but her eyes fluttered open before squeezing shut again, and shaking her head back and forth, she cried, "R-Riza..." Roy froze, before hesitantly placing his hand on her shoulder, breaking her out of her emotional state. She blinked at him and through laboured breaths, managed a, "Roy?"

"Rebecca," he started quickly, desperately, "where's Riza? Please, you have to tell me." At the mention of her best friend again, Rebecca's eyes filled with tears that rolled down her cheeks and into her hair. Frightened by her reaction, Roy pushed again, his tone more urgent than before. "_Please_."

A sob escaping her lips, Rebecca choked out, "She's gone. They took her, Roy, they took her and I couldn't do a thing...!"

And Roy's world stopped – he felt his fists clench, his heartbeat quicken, and his brain go haywire. Riza was gone, missing, nowhere to be found. Riza was no longer there, and _it was his fault_. His gaze fell to the pavement, struggling to comprehend the reality that his Lieutenant had been kidnapped but unable to grasp it. Too much information was flying around his head, too much distress was filling his chest, and when he looked up to ask more questions of Rebecca, he saw her being pushed away to a nearby ambulance. He wanted to call out to her, but he could not find his voice, and a few seconds later, two women made their way to him and began to apply some type of medicine to his burns. This time he didn't resist, too lost to do so, and so allowed them to bring him over to the second ambulance at the scene to further treat him.

Roy paid no attention as they flitted around him and didn't react when they pressed the burn treatment to his cheeks – the only thing occupying his mind was his failure, his inability to protect the one important person in his life, the one person who had always and would always be there for him.

His breathing became hitched as the panic from before set in tenfold and a fear that he hadn't felt since Ishval overcame him, paralyzing him completely. His mind kept replaying Rebecca's words – _they _she had said. Who were "they"? Roy needed to find out – he figured he could get the information from Catalina after she had recovered some – and when he did, he would make them _suffer_.

And so Colonel Roy Mustang vowed, right then and there, that he would not rest until he had his Second Lieutenant back, safe and sound and by his side.

~P~

Roy spent nearly every waking moment after that night thinking of his Lieutenant. What was happening to her, where she was, how she was doing plagued him for nights and days on end. His stomach would twist, his heart clench, and his palms sweat just thinking about all of it.

The day after it had occurred, he had been informed by Lieutenant General Grumman that an investigation into her disappearance had been launched and that searches were taking place immediately, despite the fact that no one hadn't a clue of her whereabouts. These efforts did little to quell Roy's fears, and so he spent all of his time researching the sight of the burned apartment complex or conducting search parties, which even after seemingly weeks of looking, came out with nothing. For the first time in his life, the man swore he was descending into insanity, and even those around him agreed. He was frantic, angry, and irritable – together, those made for a frightening Roy Mustang.

Every few days, the Flame Alchemist even visited Rebecca, hoping that she would soon recover from her smoke-damaged lungs and bullet wounds so she could provide him with information that might actually be of use to him.

"How have you been doing?" the raven-haired man asked, taking his seat in a chair beside the Warrant Officer's bed and narrowly suppressing a yawn – he obviously had not been sleeping well, one could tell just by looking at his worn, stubbly face. Rebecca was reclined back, a sleepy expression on her own features, though she was smiling sadly at Roy. It was the third visit she had received from him that week – she knew he was anxious, that he needed to know more, judging by how he was clenching and unclenching his fists. And now that her thoughts weren't so clogged and she had had time to recall the horrid nightmare that that evening was, she could give him what he needed. They could finally get somewhere in the search for Riza.

"I've been better, you know that," she joked, coughing a bit. Roy cringed at the grating noise, before nodding at her bitter response. He had certainly she her in nicer conditions. The room was painfully quiet after Rebecca stopped hacking, with Roy staring at the floor, his mind racing while she kept her gaze focussed on the window, trying to find the courage to relay the happenings to him. When Roy finally found it in himself to speak up, she opened her mouth first. "I-I can tell you now, Roy," she said quickly, "but you're not going to like what I have to say."

"Riza's gone," he stated bluntly, angrily at the reminder, "of course, I'm not." His stomach plummeted as the realization hit him once again, and he struggled to keep a straight face and not demand the answers from the woman before him. He needed to be patient, but it was damn near impossible for the emotionally-wired Colonel.

Rebecca stared at him before blinking then, silently asking him if he was okay to begin listening. His scowl deepened but he nodded, which she returned before continuing, her eyes directed at her shaking hands, "You know how Riza's been going on dates for a while now?"

"Actually, I wasn't informed until the night this all happened," he answered curtly, and the look in Warrant Officer Catalina's eyes grew guiltier. Roy took note of his tone then, trying to calm himself – this wasn't Rebecca's fault, and he needed to remind himself of that. "I-I'm sorry," he said a few moments later, "please, continue."

"Well, I don't know if you know Lieutenant Gunter and Sergeant Major Dresden?" Rebecca's voice had grown smaller as she spoke their names and she began to wring her hands together. Roy raised an eyebrow at her, though an immense hatred for the two men was already growing in his heart. He didn't know them – he had heard their names mentioned once or twice in documents, but that was it – and his look at the dark-haired woman made this clear. Rebecca sighed, before sitting up straighter and continuing her explanation.

"T-the four of us were on a double date," she elaborated, "and we decided to go back to my place for some drinks... and it all happened there." She bit her lip, but forced the words out of her lips – Roy needed to hear this, he deserved to. She watched the Flame Alchemist lean closer, his eyes dark and stormy and his teeth grinding. "Things got out of hand with D-Dirk – I mean Sergeant Major Dresden – and Riza was trying to get him to lay off, but he wouldn't. Lieutenant Gunter restrained her then and-and everything just escalated from there – Riza pulled a gun on him and ended up getting him in the shoulder, but they got it from her and shot me instead. She tried to get them to leave me alone but they wouldn't listen – they bashed her twice. A-After that... they... they left and before I knew it, the place was... was on fire and Riza was gone and—" Rebecca's hand flew to her mouth to repress a sob, the recollection of her friend's disappearance hitting her hard and sending her into a round of uncontrollable emotions. "—and I don't know where she is and what if she's hurt an-and there's nothing we can do to—" The only thing the ended Rebecca's babbling were tears rolling down her face, the sadness welling up within her too much to speak through.

Roy watched the woman with wide eyes, a flurry of his own feelings running amok within him. Utter hatred and anger toward the two men she mentioned – whom he would kill them on sight when he saw them – and relief that he had received some vital information. But it was all pushed aside as his eyes caught Rebecca's weeping, his own chest swelling with the emotions he hadn't expressed openly yet – his fear, his distress. But he would not let those loose – not right now, she didn't need that. "Rebecca, s-stop, please," he cursed his wavering voice, hesitantly raising a hand to pat her shoulder, trying futilely to comfort her. "We'll find her, we will, I promise. I will do everything in my power to make sure that Riza comes back to us. There isn't a chance I'm letting those bastards get away with what they did to you two."

Rebecca's tears ceased a few moments later, with her wiping at them furiously as she realized she had been outright crying. With a sniffle and a small smile, she said whisperingly, "She's lucky, you know. Really lucky. To have someone like you who cares about her so much." She leaned back into her pillows then, sighing and closing her eyes. "I can't believe I haven't realized it up until now. I've been so stupid."

Roy blinked at her – Riza was lucky to have him? He always thought about it the other way around – if anything, he was fortunate to have someone like Hawkeye to call his own. She kept him in line at work, watched his back constantly, and always put up with his melodrama – to put it simply, Roy couldn't function without her, as he had learned with much difficulty in those past painful weeks.

He hadn't really given himself much time to assess how he felt about the situation besides anger and a severe determination and drive to find her – but now that Rebecca had mentioned it, he was suddenly forced to acknowledge the other aspects of how he was feeling.

Roy Mustang had always cared about Riza Hawkeye – ever since he had first met her, he had made it a goal to look out for her and make sure she was protected. When they were younger, when he was her father's little apprentice, she was a small, fragile, frail child who look liked she would break if looked at the wrong way. But then they parted ways and she joined the military like he did, and became a whole other person – she was suddenly strong, independent and ruthless, the Hawk's eye of the military, a woman who was more than capable of protecting herself. But even so – even after all the training she had done, even though she was the one who swore her life and allegiance to him – Roy still felt the need, deep down, to keep an eye on her. And so he did, with the same intensity she did him.

To say she was one of the few joys of Roy's life was not an understatement in the slightest – Riza brought smiles to his face when he was feeling particularly grumpy and warmth into his stiff heart when no one else could. Behind her hard mask, behind the blank, emotionless face, was a passionate, kind woman who would do anything for her people, for him – a notion gladly returned – and... Roy Mustang was irreversibly in love with her. He loved how her eyes would light up and he could get a rare smile out of her, he loved how he knew all of her favourite things and darkest secrets, he loved how he trusted no one else as unconditionally as her – he just loved _her_, he loved Riza Hawkeye.

It was not a jarring realization to the man – he had always sort of known – but it filled him with a sense of warmth he had not felt in years, not since the last time he had embraced the missing woman. It flooded his system and seized his heart. It was only when he reached up and touched his face then that he realized he was crying, tears slowly rolling down his face and off his chin. He wasn't making a noise – just crying to himself quietly, his pent up emotions finally exiting his body, emotional exhaustion taking up the place they once used to reside.

Rebecca was silent as Roy vented, feeling tears prick at her eyes all over again. When the Flame Alchemist finally composed himself, palming at his eyes with his gloves, he stood up and looked down at her. "I will find her," he reiterated what he had said so many times before, though this time his voice was brimming with hope instead of desperation.

Rebecca smiled up at him. "I know you will. Riza can always count on you."

And at this, the man left the hospital room with renewed determination to find the woman he loved – he would get Riza back, and then he would tell her how he felt, because dammit, she deserved to know and Roy wanted it to be realized.

~P~

When Hawkeye came to, she hadn't the slightest clue as to where she was or what was happening around her. Her head ached fiercely and her vision swam as she tried to look up so as to gain a grasp as to what was occurring – but all her eyes could pick up was a blurry, worn-down room.

Moving to lift her arms, Riza found out quite quickly that she could not. With a few more painful tries, it became evident that her hands were pinned back but for what reason, she still was not aware. Hanging her head for a few moments in a futile attempt to stop it from pounding so hard, she looked up and blinked blearily – she could see the profile of a person walking back in forth in front of her. As her sight began to clear, so did the face of the person – a man – and before she could say a word, he was speaking, pacing up to her with a small smirk.

"Ah! Looks like the Lieutenant has finally decided to join us. 'Bout time."

Almost instantly, if it had not been for her sore muscles, Riza jerked up and stiffened, immediately having recognized the voice. And just like that, the events that conspired so that she had ended up wherever she was flashed through her mind – the boring date she had gone on with the man in front of her, his friend abusing Rebecca, her best friend getting shot and the threat of setting her apartment aflame. Suddenly thrashing out her legs, Riza growled, "Where the hell am I!? Gunter!"

"Calm down – your efforts are being wasted," Alaric's eyes narrowed at her and he sneered. "And in response to your question – let's just say you're a distance away from anyone who has the ability to help you, Hawkeye." Riza returned his intense glare, trying to make evident her hatred for him.

When it got to the point where it looked like Alaric was ready to tear out her hair, Dirk came out from where he had been behind Riza, eyes closed while shaking his head, an exasperated look spread on his features. "Now that's enough you two," he chided, "you're not children."

At this, Hawkeye directed her glower at him before angrily repeating herself, punctuating each word that left her mouth, "Where. Am. I? Tell me."

Before Alaric could answer, Dresden held up a hand that quieted his partner down while he gave an answer. "You're not stupid, Lieutenant – not in the least. So stop acting like you are. You know very well that we are not going to divulge to you our location. Just take Gunter's word for it – no one is going to find you here."

Riza fidgeted and tried to move her hands again as if by some miracle she might be able to, before giving up and going silent. Her stomach churned, making her feel woozy and light-headed, as unspoken, unsettling words and the necessity to know their answer plagued her mind – she didn't want to speak to her two kidnappers anymore than she already had, but she had to know, she just _had _to. Grinding her teeth, Riza managed with much difficulty to ask with what she hoped was a steady voice, "Is she okay?"

Dirk blinked at her, unprepared for and confused by her question. "Hm?"

"You aren't stupid _either_, Dresden. You know very well who I'm talking about. So tell me – is she okay or not? Did you or did you not start a fire?" Riza's attempt to keep composed was in vain – for she knew that her voice was frantic and desperate as she asked about her friend's wellbeing.

Dirk frowned then, his eyes flashing – with remorse? – but before he could say anything, Alaric answered instead, his tone too low, too calm for what the topic he was speaking about. "I'm going to save Dirk from kidding you here and be nice and blunt – Rebecca's _dead_, burned to death, her ashes are mixed in with the rubble of the building! We set that place on fire and we didn't look back. There's not a chance that she survived it." Crossing his arms, he whispered, "Happy you know now?"

Riza's fears swallowed up her mind then, and it felt as though the air was forcibly being squeezed out of her lungs, like she was suffocating, leaving her gasping for breath. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest, her mind went blank, and she could feel her eyes pricking with tears that she barely held back, if only so she could prevent herself from looking any less helpless and weak in front of the two men. Rebecca was _gone _– the only other person that mattered besides Roy, was gone. A part of her wanted to refuse the possibility of it - but it was a part of her that she had nearly lost completely in Ishval, and now it was simply too small for her to acknowledge, her grief blocking it out and consuming her thought process.

Unexpressed sorrow soon gave way to uncontrollable rage – a fierce glare set in her eyes, directed at Alaric, and before he knew what was happening, she was flailing and kicking her leg into his shin. The blonde-haired man yelped and nearly fell to the ground, before grabbing a thick bundle of Riza's hair and reefing it forward so they could stare at each other. "If you weren't so damn useful to us then I swear—"

Alaric's threat was cut off when Dirk grabbed his wrist firmly, causing him to release his hold on Riza's hair and back off a bit. "Now, now, Alaric, don't damage the goods too badly."

Gunter scowled, seething and glowering daggers at the woman before turning and avoiding Riza. She turned her gaze to the floor of the room – a dingy, dully-lit place – letting Alaric's words sink in and her anger fade slightly before her eyes widened and she spat out, "Useful? What am I useful to you for?" Curiosity began to fill her and questions promptly followed, "And what do you want with me? What use am I to you?"

At this, a smile stretched on Dirk's face. "You are quite useful – don't sound so surprised."

Riza could have never prepared herself for the answer that she was given a few seconds later by the detestable man behind Dresden. "It's simple, really," he stepped closer to her, but kept his distance. "Flame Alchemy."

Riza's eyes grew to the size of saucers and she became frantic, though she tried her best to keep her usual stoic, indifferent front as always so as not to give anything away. It was unfathomable and impossible to her that these two men could know about her tattoo, about the little knowledge but large connection she had to Flame Alchemy as the daughter of the man who had made it a reality. The only person who truly knew Flame Alchemy and its secrets was Roy Mustang, Riza was sure of it. But even after so many years of knowing this, she couldn't help the uncertainty seizing her mind. Why else would anyone ever bring it up unless they knew even a little something on it that they weren't supposed to? The possibility that either – or worse, both – men might possess the slightest knowledge of the dangerous gifts of Flame Alchemy sent Riza's mind spiralling in fear. "Flame Alchemy?" she began dumbly, hoping her act was working. "I don't know anything about it, so if you're keeping me hostage over that, you've picked the wrong person."

"We're aware of that," Alaric growled, "but I think we're all familiar with a certain State Alchemist by the name of Roy Mustang – especially you, Hawkeye." Riza froze at the mention of her superior officer's name – they were bringing him into this, of course, and instantly Riza became guarded.

"We've been studying Flame Alchemy for a while now – we're not alchemists, but could be if we so felt like applying our knowledge. But for the sake of this entire operation, we've kept what we know a secret. Flame Alchemy is a difficult topic in itself – its algorithms and techniques are much more complex than that of basic alchemy, and so while we possess a good deal of information on its fundamentals, we know next to nothing regarding its trickier parts, such as the smaller codes that gives Flame Alchemy its destructive power," Dirk explained. "And if we are to hold the key to such raw force ourselves, we need to perfect its tougher sequences."

"How?" Riza asked, all the breath knocked out of her with the information she was being bombarded with. "How... how have you been studying it so casually? How does no one know what you've been researching!?"

A sickening smirk stretched out on Alaric's face then, and he stepped forward and curled a finger around Riza hair, tugging at it cruelly. "You know those alchemists' murders that have been going on lately? All set up by us – a distraction of sorts, if you will. We certainly couldn't have the military breathing down our backs, getting suspicious of our activities, now could we? So set up an aimless case like a few simple strings of murders – we hired people to do the dirty work, of course – and you've got the brass running around in circles while we're free to conduct as much research as we please without disruptions – not to mention, not as much attention will be put into your disappearance, Hawkeye. Plus, as far as the higher ups know, we're still out for the count, sick at home!"

Riza's mind could barely wrap around Alaric's twisted words and how casually he spoke of multiple gruesome killings. Her stomach was lurching violently and her pulse was racing, making her head ache all the more. They were insane – absolutely, clearly _insane_ and it was finally beginning to sink into the depths of Riza's mind of how dangerous the two men were and how this would not be as easy of a situation to get out of as she had originally suspected.

"Now, as to where you come into the equation – who else knows more about Flame Alchemy than the all powerful Flame Alchemist himself? It became clear to us a good while ago that we wouldn't be able to crack the finer codes of Flame Alchemy without his expertise – he obviously has them mastered, but we realized that he wasn't going to freely hand over such information. So what would it take for him to divulge his secrets?" Yanking painfully on her hair so that she was forced to look up at him, Alaric grinned, "Why, taking his precious little adjutant, that's what."

"He won't tell you a-!" Riza gasped as Alaric pulled her hair again, "a-a thing! He knows better than to give up information for a disposable piece like myself!" But even she couldn't convince herself of that, but she hoped that her tone of voice won't belie what she knew was true.

Alaric and Dirk's twin laugh shook Riza's core, before the blonde-haired man spoke again. "If you expect us to believe Mustang won't come after you than you are sorely mistaken – we are not blind, Lieutenant. You two aren't just adjutant and superior officer; anybody with an eye can see that. He cares far too much about you and your wellbeing to deny our demands for long – let's just say it won't take much convincing—" He fisted her hair again and reefed upwards again, "before he'll comply accordingly. Besides, we would hate to hurt such a pretty face too badly."

The thought of such a power like Flame Alchemy being released to two lunatics made Riza dizzy – and even worse, how correct they were in how easily Roy would give up his secrets if it meant seeing her again and keeping her out of harm's way. She wanted the Colonel to be more strong-willed and to care less about her so that the possibility of something happening – something irreversible, something chaotic – was greatly lowered, but both knew that he would be automatically weaker with her and her safety involved. Biting her lip and shaking her head, Riza blurted out, "He won't do it. He won't do it, he won't do it!" It was a futile effort to convince herself of her superior officer's nonexistent ability to move forward with her, too stop putting so much effort into a relationship that ultimately did not matter if it meant handing over such powerful secrets to maniacs like the two in front of her.

"Oh, trust me, Hawkeye, he will, he will," Alaric told her lowly, cryptically, before dropping his hand to her waist and letting his fingers find their way under of her shirt, his intentions clear. "Now that all of that is out of the way – why not continuing what started at Catalina's apartment, eh?" Riza froze at his words before squirming about, making it that much more difficult for him as his hands pulled up her shirt. Her mind was racing because _they couldn't see it, they couldn't see it, they couldn't see it_! But it was too late and the sickening inevitable happened when he discarded her top to the side and Riza heard the telltale gasp from Dirk, who was staring at the markings and scars that marred her back. Her stomach dropped and felt like it was made of lead when his fingers instinctively pressed against them, eyes curiously soaking in the perfected transmutation circle.

"Oh my—this is it. _This _is it! Th-these are the finer details of Flame Alchemy! Alaric! They're so precise – they're it!" True excitement was present in Dirk's voice instead of malicious intent, and Gunter furrowed an eyebrow at him before stepping away from Riza and standing beside his friend, eyes widening.

Riza could practically feel the sneer forming on Alaric's face as he reached down and his fingers touched and scratched aggressively at the scars. "Holy shit," he breathed, "who would have known our little hostage had such a _big secret _regarding the very secrets of Flame Alchemy?" Leaning forward, he whispered harshly in her ear, "You better have a good explanation for this."

But Riza refused to give him an answer and was saved another cruel act when Dirk held his hand up and spoke. "Alaric, these are stunningly accurate and complete. They're _years _beyond what we could hope to know – I mean, look at these!" He fingered the top of her spine, before his fingers dropped down to a scar, though he was much gentler than Gunter was. "But these scars – they're covering the most vital parts, the ones that can make a difference between minimal amounts of power and that of destructive force."

"Seems like you knowing nothing about Flame Alchemy is bullshit," Alaric spat at her, digging his nails into her flesh once again. "So how you'd manage to come about what was once a perfect Flame Alchemy transmutation tattooed into your back, Hawkeye? Hm?"

Riza bit her lip, still not giving them an answer besides, "I don't know anything about Flame Alchemy." And technically, this was true – for she knew nothing of the practice – only that her father had invented it and that Roy Mustang was the single man who possessed its power, and if she had anything to do with it, it was going to stay that way.

"You must like getting hurt," Alaric grabbed her hair again. "It's clear where Mustang must have gotten his knowledge from, though – and it would only make sense that the idiot burned your back, too. How noble of the both of you – not wanting the power of Flame Alchemy to fall into the wrong hands, I suppose? Well, let's say it's still going to happen despite your preventatives. Too bad.

"And this only helps us, Dirk – if Mustang ever wants to see his precious Hawkeye again, then he'll give us the scarred parts of her back and we'll see how it goes from there. Or, if he feels like being particularly difficult—" He directed a smirk down at Riza, whose eyes narrowed, "—then we could just keep her for ourselves, let her be the source of our knowledge."

"I don't know _anything_," she half-lied again, stomping her foot. "What will it take for you to realize that?"

"If you think your word is trustworthy to us, then you're sorely mistaken," he pinched a scar, causing a short yelp to escape Riza's throat. Walking back around, he bent over then and pressed his lips to her pulse and nipped, sending a shock of pain through Riza's neck. "Now, I would like to continue my previous actions without any further interruptions..."

Getting the hint, Dirk waved his hand at Gunter and began to walk to a door across the room. "Whatever. Just don't damage anything too extensively – I'd like to study the tattoo further later on. So have your fun."

Alaric laughed before trying to roughly plant his lips on Riza's, though she turned her head and his lips collided with her jawbone. "The more you resist, the harder I'm going to make this for you," he threatened in her ear, his voice thick with an aggressive, dark desire that frightened Riza despite the defiant front she was putting on.

Narrowing her eyes and kneeing him in the stomach, Riza spat out, "Then I intend to make this as difficult for you as possible, too."

"We'll see how Mustang'll like it when he receives you back bruised and battered like your snotty mouth deserves," Alaric grinned before latching his hands onto her hips and squeezing. Riza resisted making a single noise, not willing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. As he continued to assault her, the Lieutenant retreated deep into her mind, something she had learned while back in Ishval, and blocked out the physical and mental pain as best as she could. She would not go down without a fight, but for now, she knew that she was in no place to play against her captors and so until the moment she would need to spring up again, Riza would wait and plot silently against the two men, even if she had to suffer through it all the while.

~P~

Roy Mustang threw open his front door with a bang, not caring whether or not he put a dent in the wall of his apartment. There was a seemingly permanent crease in his brow and frown etched on his face – needless to say, the Flame Alchemist was in a less than ideal mood. He had spent his entire day fruitlessly researching into the background of the two men Rebecca had told him of, but instead of anything useful, instead of any hints at past malicious behaviour, all he found was that the pair apparently had an immunity issue as they were always on sick leave. Despite their apparent innocence, though, Roy knew better, felt it in his gut – Rebecca would not lie and Mustang himself had known men who seemed perfectly fine and dandy in their day to day lives only to have hidden agendas on the side.

A long, exhausted sigh escaping his mouth, he flopped down on his couch and pressed his arm to his head. The Colonel could barely cope with his Lieutenant's disappearance in his life – it wasn't just his inability to function at work that was bothering him, but the fact that he could barely perform normally at all. His worry and nervousness grasped at him all hours of the day, claiming his heart and squeezing it each second longer that she was away from him. His drained emotional state left the man flustered and distracted to the point where going through with simple, everyday tasks could be an absolute chore for him. This was not the first time, but it certainly was one of the toughest, that Roy realized that he didn't just depend on her physically, but emotionally, as well.

Despite the chaos running amok in his mind, the Colonel felt his eyelids begin to lull shut, desperate for the sleep he had been depriving himself of since he had found out. The blackness of sleep had almost taken over him when the ringing of his phone filled his ears and he shot up, intensely aware of everything around him, especially the loud racket the device was making behind him. Groaning, he stood up slowly and walked over to the phone, and no amount of time would have been long enough for him prepare for what he heard on the other line.

"Sir?"

Her tired voice made Roy tense, his fingers curling around the phone while his other hand clenched into a shaky fist. It was her, it was _Riza_, and the relief that washed over him made for his head to grow dizzy. Trying to calm himself, he couldn't help when he opened his mouth and out tumbled, "Riza. R-Riza. Oh my... _Riza_."

He heard her make a noise on the other end of the line before inhaling as though she was going to speak again, when a gasp sounded in his ears instead followed by a collection of harsh shouts, and it all came rushing back to him violently, the situation she was in and just how distressed he was about her whereabouts. "Riza!" he shouted frantically, pounding a fist on the table the phone sat upon. "Riza!? Are you all right? Answer me!"

"Ah, Hawkeye's had her time," a male's voice said into the phone instead, and instantly Roy's blood began to boil. "Now it's my turn, _Colonel_," Alaric spat venomously into the phone, his fingers twisting in Riza's hair, trying to elicit a pained reaction so as to set Roy off even further. She simply bit her lip to hold back the noise in her throat, consequently causing for Gunter to tug even more at her blonde locks.

Roy didn't hold back as anger bubbled up and out of him in the form of threatening words. "What have you done with her, you asshole? If you hurt her, if you even laid a hand on her, I swear I will burn you to—"

"You're just as bad as her!" Alaric taunted cruelly, "doesn't know when they're not in a position to barter a situation. Which you certainly aren't – not when we have what you want. Not when we have her, Mustang."

Roy growled something inaudibly and his grip strained around the phone. He knew that what this man spoke was unfortunately the truth – he was in no place to try and force a list of conditions on them, for they possessed his Lieutenant, and so begrudgingly, he forced down the threats he wanted to unleash and pressed an ear to the phone. If he had to negotiate, then so be it. "F-fine. Tell me, what do you want then? What do I need to do to get her back?"

"Flame Alchemy is a mysterious, beautifully destructive force, isn't it?" Alaric answered back casually, as if they were a pair of old friends catching up, and Roy's eyes widened. A large grin spreading out on Gunter's face, as though he could tell Roy's reaction just by the silence on the other end of the line, he continued with, "That's what we want – we want your knowledge." Roy remained quiet for a few more seconds, trying to figure out what they could possibly want with his alchemy, but just when he was about to open his mouth, he heard banging and voices.

"Roy!" It was Riza once again, his chest aching at hearing her voice. "Please, don't do this. Giving up the secrets of Flame Alchemy isn't—" Riza was interrupted by the sound of what Roy suspected was a slap and two annoyed voices, and instantly his mind began to rage again.

"You _fucking_—" he began, but was cut off by Alaric's condescending voice.

"Ah, ah, Flame Alchemist," he sneered, "watch your mouth. Now, do you have an answer for us or not?" The line went dead silent, as though one of them had hung up, but in reality Roy felt as though he was nearly suffocating at the lack of oxygen he was allowing into his system. When Alaric became annoyed by his unresponsiveness, he resorted to another jab at his emotions to spur him on. "It isn't really _all _that big a deal. If you refuse, then we can simply take the Lieutenant with us here and get her to reveal every little sliver of detail we need to finish our research."

Roy's head began to spin in that moment and he almost dropped his phone – they had seen it. _They had seen her tattoo_. He hadn't been able to protect her, and now they knew her darkest secret, one that only he was supposed to possess the knowledge of her having. He wanted to apologize to her then, for his inability to keep her and her secret safe, but he could not think over the cloud of anger fogging up his mind. If they had seen her tattoo and scars, that meant that they had removed her shirt and _how _they had gone about that was what was tearing the man up - they had done something to her, they violated her and inflicted pain upon her and Roy just knew it, the possibilities making him feel sick. Gritting his teeth, without a second of deliberation, Roy barked, "I'll do it! Just tell me where we can exchange the information for her - _now_."

"Aw, eager to get her back now?" Alaric gave a twisted little laugh. "Good Colonel. So, you know the abandoned section of the city – well, we're there. You'll know us when you see us – and I'll spare you the details until you actually show up. And clearly, unless you never want to see her again, Mustang, don't get the military involved. Just bring yourself and we'll see to it this goes smoothly." There was a slight pause before Alaric bent over and dragged his fingers across Riza's red cheek, making her hiss at him. "Oh, and don't worry, we'll make sure to keep little Hawkeye here company until you decide to make your way over. I'll make sure to provide her with a warm body, hm."

In that moment, Roy never wanted to end a human being more, his chest aching in selfish jealousy, but before he could voice his hatred, Alaric hung up, leaving the Flame Alchemist alone in his thoughts once again. The hand holding the phone slammed it down on the receiver, his eyes looking in between the communicating device and the small pile of fabric that sat on the end table beside him. He knew that Riza would want him to resist the temptation, that she would insist that Flame Alchemy was more important than just her one life and that he should inform Grumman to send a platoon in immediately, but his heart, the intensity of his feelings towards her could not allow for him to dismiss the situation as she would have liked. His emotions, raging and desperate, were making his decision as he reached forward and retrieved the gloves, staring down at them in his hands.

Maybe he wasn't thinking straight, maybe he wasn't being reasonable, but Roy Mustang had to take matter into his own hands and get her back before she got hurt further – once again his own, indirect fault, he noted bitterly – and he was willing to follow any method to do so. Squeezing the material in his palms, Roy murmured, "I love you," before striding right out of his apartment like he had never even been there to begin with.

~P~

Roy had never driven so recklessly in his life, nearly running people over and risking crashing his car in his haste. But he couldn't stop, wouldn't stop – she was too important, too damn important to wait. The lively downtown area of East City quickly gave way to a darker, almost-forgotten part of it – the abandoned side of town. Years before he was born, the place had been evacuated for safety issues within the buildings and was officially shut off by the military from the rest of the city when crime and violence became too overwhelming to deal with. Now, it was simply a hauntingly quiet, dusty part of the city that was rarely visited by anyone – except that night, that is.

The Flame Alchemist ripped through the undisturbed, unlit streets at an alarming pace before haphazardly parking his vehicle in the middle of the road and dashing out. His dark eyes scanned the area with much difficulty, for he could barely discern doors from trash in the dimness, but nonetheless he looked for the unknown signal frantically. He ran through the confusing maze of concrete until he swore he was running in circle, his mind spinning and heart pounding in his chest. He was just about to let out a frustrated yell when a noise that was all too familiar to him sounded out a few blocks away. Roy froze, blinked, and waited for another gunshot to go off, afraid that he might be so out of it that his mind was now cruelly playing tricks on him. When another round did go off, quickly followed by another and another, Roy ran in the direction he suspected the source was.

As he rounded a corner, he was presented with the figure of a man, tall and slim and with a sick grin crossing his thin features. Instant hatred sprouted in Roy for him, his chest constricting and his mind teetering on the verge of thinly-held control and sanity. He stepped closer to the man, slow, unsteady steps. When he was near enough that he could see his face completely, he immediately recognized his visage and spat out disgustedly, "So you're Dresden, hm? I'd say nice to meet you, but in all truth all I want to do is set you on fire."

Dresden just presented him with a small, amused smile. "You know who I am – I see you've done your research." His eyes widened a bit in realization then, "She lived then... Rebecca's alive?"

"Shut up and take me to my Lieutenant," Roy growled, not answering the man's question – he didn't deserve to know that the Warrant Officer was healing from major burns and shot wounds, thanks to him. Dirk frowned at him before shaking his head and turning around. Pocketing his gun, he began to lead Mustang deeper into the abandoned section, the blanket of blackness seemingly growing darker the farther they got into the mess of decaying buildings. The Colonel didn't wish to speak to the man, but curiosity was eating away at his insides, and so he forced out, "Who is with her now?" However, before Dresden could come up with an answer, Roy found his own and his eyes grew in a rage. "That asshole from the phone!? I swear, if he's done anything with her I will make sure—"

"I didn't want to leave him with her myself – he hasn't exactly been gentle these last few days – but I wasn't about to send him down here to get you. You'd kill each other right on the spot," Dirk cut him off and explained, a slight bored hint in his tone, as if the topic of abuse and kidnapping was a causal thing for him. When he turned to look at the Flame Alchemist, he could see the hatred burning in his pupils, his fists clenching in his pockets. He flashed him another sick, inappropriate smile before making a turn.

As they continued along in silence, Dresden's eyes stayed fixed on the Colonel's pockets, and spoke again, this time, though, his voice was warning, serious. "I do suggest you don't try anything funny here, Mustang," he started gravely, his eyes narrowing. "If you have your gloves in those pockets, then give them up now, because my partner will not hesitate to shoot you if he sees one act of defiance on your part."

Roy withdrew his hands reluctantly then, holding them above his head. "I don't have them," he lied, having just felt at the material seconds beforehand for reassurance. "I'm not stupid enough to risk my Lieutenant's life like that."

"Good Colonel," Dirk nodded condescendingly at him, before finally arriving at the door of a shady-looking building and reefing it open. He wasn't about to check Mustang directly, though he was suspicious, for even though he had a threat and gun advantage, he knew the Flame Alchemist was crafty and dangerous, and wasn't about to endanger his own life over something that he knew the man should have been smart enough to leave behind – and besides, he believed his word of wanting to keep Riza safer through total compliance. Letting Roy enter first, Dirk then pulled the gun out and pressed it to the back of his head, making him tense. Dresden shrugged at him. "I have to make it look like I put some effort into getting you here, even if you know better than to make a move. I don't think Gunter would like it much, either, if I came back and wasn't threatening your life in some way."

Roy grumbled, but obeyed the man who could take his life if he wanted to, drudging up a handful of staircases at a pace so slow he swore he was going insane. He was tense all over and his stomach was in knots, each step bringing him that much closer to Riza and the other man that had hurt her. When they stopped at a door and entered a small, dimly-lit room, he expected to see his beloved adjutant, but it was disappointingly empty, another door located across from them. As soon as Dirk opened his mouth to speak, though, Roy knew what was happening, and he couldn't help the cocky smirk crossing his face as he listened. Their plan to trick and extract information from him before he even saw her wasn't going to work in the slightest – they were going to do this the right way, with him revealing the secrets of Flame Alchemy when he was able to hold Riza again. Until then, not a word of his forbidden alchemy would spill from his tight lips.

"So would you like to begin informing the smarter of my partner and I what the missing parts of her tattoo mean? All I know is that they are the parts that make Flame Alchemy its most dangerous and destructive – and that's why you clearly burned them off her back. So start talking, Mustang."

"Notta chance." Mustang's smirk grew, before he buried his hands in his pockets again, enjoying how Dresden fidgeted at the movement, expecting for Roy to pull something he wasn't stupid enough to try. He stared, hard and unblinking, at the man across from him.

Dresden seemed to realize that he was in the possession of a gun, and waving it at Colonel, scowled. "I think you're the one forgetting who the gun here, Mustang."

Roy squared his shoulders, his eyes narrowing and his glare becoming darker and more pronounced. "I think you're forgetting who possesses the only complete knowledge of Flame Alchemy in the world."

Dirk was just as tense as the Flame Alchemist was, his gaze equally as unwavering and glinting. Swallowing, he knew that Roy's words were all too unfortunately true – while the gun was good for keeping the man and his actions in check, threatening him so outright with death was unrealistic and irresponsible of Dresden, and so lowering the firearm, shrugged and turned towards the other door in the room. "I guess that's true," he spat, but he could barely help himself from speaking further venomous comments out of the humiliation burning in his chest. Roy watched cautiously as Dresden raised his hand to doorknob and slowly, so excruciatingly eased the door open to the room that the Flame Alchemist just knew his adjutant was in. It took everything in him not to knock the other man out of the way and barge through to her, but instead he futilely tried to occupy himself by rubbing his bare, twitching fingers against the soft fabric of his gloves for the umpteenth time that evening. When Dirk stepped into the room and waited for him to follow, he sucked in a large breath and made his way through the doorway into a room similar, but slightly larger, than the other they had been. The clearest difference, though, was the woman in the middle of the room, tied, shirtless, to a chair and a faintly familiar blonde man forcefully pressing his mouth to her pulse.

The thinly-veiled fury that had been brewing within Roy threatened to nearly consume him completely in that moment – taking in Riza's exhausted expression, the fresh bruises and scratches that marred her flesh, and for his own selfish reasoning, seeing such a vile man so close to her, performing an intimate act that he knew she didn't want to be put through by the look in her eyes then. While he could somewhat control the rage blistering through his veins, he could not hide the slight relief – despite the situation – and urgency that washed over him and so he called her name. "R-Riza. Riza!"

Riza's angry gaze noticeably softened at the sound of his voice, her head snapping up in his direction in a way that made the blonde man beside her growl in annoyance at the jerky move. "Colonel! You're here!" Hope alighted in her eyes, but then they screwed shut when Alaric tugged sharply at her hair as he usually did, before unlatching his lips from her neck and turning to face the man that she was speaking to, making Roy's fist clench and his teeth grit against one another. The little optimism that Riza had gained from seeing Roy again had faded instantaneously because of the cruel action of Gunter's, and when she opened her eyes next they were tired and disappointed, like Roy expected them to be all along. "You're here. Why are you here? How could you be so stupid? Colonel! I told you not come—"

"Shut up," Alaric shouted at her, and while Riza was wholly ready to disobey him, he continued to speak, cutting off her chance to talk. Crossing his arms and turning to Roy, he smirked. "So you did, in fact, decide to join us in exchange for your girlfriend. Wonderful." He frowned at Dresden then, before shrugging as though the situation was casual. "Now, let's get down to business – I want to make this trade as quick and as painless as possible... I don't have the patience for this anymore. So spill it, Mustang."

Roy bit his lip, the deepest, darkest secrets pertaining to Flame Alchemy immediately appearing in his mind, readying to be spoken and revealed to the world. But the look on the Riza's face had the Flame Alchemist frozen by her obvious disappointment in him and the poorly-hidden pain swirling in her amber irises, and Roy's eyes flew shut, for he had hurt her again, like so, so many times before... "The longer you take, you realize, the more I'm allowed to toy with her until you tell us anything. We still have you backed into a corner here, so I can do whatever I want," Alaric barked, his tone amused as reached around to Riza's back and squeezed a darkly bruised area – something he had induced – causing a short yelp to escape her throat.

Instantaneously, Roy snapped, unable to take anymore and he could feel his hands unconsciously wrapping around his gloves. "Stop it! Stop it, now!" he commanded at Alaric, who simply continued to hurt Riza as he pleased, a sick grin spreading on his features as he took in the distress that was pouring from the two. "I said STOP IT!" he roared when it became too much, feeling his eyes sting at the amount obvious pain that Riza was in.

"You know how to stop it, Colonel, so if want it to cease, utilise your ability to," Alaric snarled, his hand stretching threateningly around the hollow of Riza's throat.

And in that moment, Roy would do anything to make her suffering stop, his mind running amok, his thoughts incoherent and jumbled, his desperation making a sweat break across his brow and his heart race in his chest. He tried to be strong, he tried to negotiate for her so that she might not be so upset with him, but he couldn't, not when it was at the point that both of them looked like they could be reduced to tears at any second. "All right," Roy whispered, his voice broken and small, and Riza tensed, her ears perking at his clear declaration of his giving up. "All right, god damnit, just stop already! I'll tell you all you sick bastards want to know about Flame Alchemy, as long as you STOP!" Riza's eyes widened to the size of saucers – he was about to reveal the secrets of Flame Alchemy to two megalomaniacs, all because of her, all because she was his one weakness that he could never say 'no' to.

"Roy, you idiot," she coughed, biting her lip and turning away from him. She didn't want to die, but she did not and would never put her life above the general population's safety, and by her Colonel giving up such knowledge to Alaric and Dirk, he was doing just that. She didn't want him to, she wanted him to think clearly like she knew he was perfectly capable of – if it weren't her, she knew he would – but he wasn't going to do it. Roy Mustang was set in his decision, and there was no going back until he had her by his side again.

"Finally, we're seeing the famed genius of the Flame Alchemist," Alaric laughed to himself, and Dirk rolled his eyes but nonetheless tightened his grip on his gun and took a fraction of a step closer to Roy. Gunter's face fell immediately, though, into a deep grimace. His voice became demanding, low and no nonsense. "Now, give us the information, Colonel, and you can have Hawkeye back, as promised."

Roy swallowed thickly, his mind now a frazzled mess unlike before, and the answers that normally came so easily to him, that he knew inside out were locked away by the fog that surrounded his thought process. When the silence lasted too long for Gunter's liking, Roy watched as his hand moved towards Riza's neck again, and instinctively a random, but key, component of the finer points of Flame Alchemy entered his mind. He was just about to open his mouth to utter it, with Alaric leaning in to catch each word, when the sound of wheels screeching on cement sounded throughout the room and each of them froze. Alaric blinked out into the darkness of the window a few feet away from him and his eyes narrowed. "What the hell was _that_?" he hissed, his eyes momentarily flickering to Mustang before back to the glass.

Dirk took a tentative step towards the window and peered out of it slowly, and was presented with exactly what he believed it was – military vehicles surrounding the front of the very building they were in, but before he could inform Gunter of the obvious situation, a bright light flashed into the upper windows of the structure and a loud, amplified voice sounded out. "Second Lieutenant Alaric Gunter and Sergeant Major Dirk Dresden!" the voice commanded, and it became immediately clear to each of them who it was – Lieutenant General Grumman, head of Eastern Command himself. The old man's usually-cheery voice was stern and serious. "We are aware of what you have committed. We have the building surrounded, and we are giving you exactly five minutes to evacuate with Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye unharmed or else we will forcibly remove you."

Roy's eyes were wide as he listened – how had Grumman found them? And then it became clear – the Lieutenant General had more than likely had Roy's apartment tapped to the nines because of the multiple alchemists' murders; he wouldn't want the prized Flame Alchemist to get killed, but knew he would oppose extra protection, so what better way to go about it? Being a little sneak and setting it up behind the Colonel's back, just as Grumman had. Before Roy could respond in any way, shape, or form to the interruption, Alaric turned back to him, his eyes burning with a terrifying glare. "So much for not getting the military involved, huh, Mustang!? Well, you think you're brilliant, don't you – but keep in mind now that this entire thing is _off_! She's ours, Colonel!" At this, his hands flew behind Riza's back and untied her before his arms wrapped around her neck to effectively cut off air flow and keep her subdued.

Panic filled the Flame Alchemist's mind again, seizing it and making him incapable of thinking clearly. All he knew was that he was launching forward, hands extended for Riza while Alaric pulled her away from his reach with a violent jerk. He was barely aware of the words that Dresden and Gunter exchanged before the former threw Alaric a gun of his own, for the blood rushing in his ears was all that could be heard. Before Roy knew it, he was on the opposite side of the expansive room and Alaric was making it very clear that he was going to attempt to make a getaway from how he was inching closer and closer to the door, his arm tightening around Riza's throat with each step. When Roy narrowed his eyes at him, ready to pull on his alchemy gloves at any second, he was reminded of just the situation he was in when he heard the cocking of a gun to his left, and his head slowly turned to find the barrel of Dresden's gun pointed very precisely at the center of his forehead, intent to kill on the first shot if need be. Mustang froze, his eyes the one thing moving as they frantically flickered back and forth between the gun and Riza, who now had Alaric's weapon pressed to the thin skin of her temple threateningly. Roy's throat strained to hold back the strangled cry of her name, his vision blurring slightly instead from the tears invading his eyes. "Go!" Dresden growled at Gunter after a few seconds, his knuckles growing whiter the tighter he gripped the gun. "Take Hawkeye and make as much distance as you can – don't try to hide, just run! I'll hold back Mustang!" When Alaric didn't immediately bolt out of the door like Dirk expected, he glared and reiterated, irritated and tense, "GO!"

Alaric jammed the gun closer to Riza's head, causing her to grunt and pull on his arm, before escaping through the door and out of Roy's line of sight. Roy's heart hammered in his chest – he had just lost her _again_! But this time... he would not let them succeed, they would not get away with her in their possession. The Flame Alchemist's hands clenched around the gloves in his pocket as he watched Gunter and Hawkeye vacate the premises before robotically turning his head back to Dirk, who still had an unwavering gun pointed a few feet away from his skull. As he slowly inched a glove on his left hand, he easily came to the realization that only one of them was leaving that building alive – and it certainly wasn't going to be Dresden. "You really couldn't just make this easy for us, Mustang?" Dresden had an annoyed crease in his brow. "You know, we were being perfectly honest when we said we would give her back to you for the information – we weren't going to play any games. But then you had to go and pull _this_." He tilted his head to the window, his indication clear. He sighed, heavy and overly dramatic then, "I guess this means that I'll have to kill you now and decipher the array on Hawkeye's back myself."

Roy chuckled humourlessly then, revealing his left hand from the pocket of his trench coat and revelling in the way Dirk's eyes widened ever-so-slightly at the sight of his alchemy glove. "You better make that bullet count, Dresden," Roy said darkly, "because you're only going to get one shot - I'm not going to let you leave here alive."

Dirk laughed shakily, his nervousness starting to show through a bit. "I knew it. Of course you had them the entire time. It's _you_. But you're right – I should, because I'm probably not going to live much longer. But I'm sure as hell not allowing you to get away either, Mustang, so if I'm going out, I'm going out with a bang." And at this, Dresden's finger pulled the trigger of the gun and Roy's fingers snapped a fraction of a second afterwards, the explosion directed at Dirk's upper arm. Within moments, the limb had been torn from its owner and the bullet from the gun it was holding lodged itself in Roy's left arm, causing him to kneel to the floor and wince in pain. His eyes flew open when he heard Dirk's blood-curdling screams, "My arm! MY ARM! You blew it off! How could you?! You monster!" All Roy could see though was dust and fire and darkness, and as it all began to clear, he realized that he had blown a hole in the building, revealing the blackness of the night to the now destroyed-room. Clutching his left arm where the bullet had penetrated the flesh, Roy glared at the pitiful, bleeding mess of a man writhing around on the floor before him and then turned his head to look across the debris and spotting Dirk's arm. Roy's eyes narrowed at the severed limb, his anger now unleashed and uncontainable, and facing the broken ex-Sergeant Major again, with a small amount of difficulty he raised his left hand and aimed for the man's skull before – _Snap!_ And just like that, Dirk Dresden was no longer alive, his blood instead splattered along the drywall and paint of the old building.

Roy's breathing was heavy as he stared down at the man he had killed, no remorse and regret flowing through his veins at the gruesome act he had so easily performed. He did not register the military's clamour outside, instead turning to what remained of the door and striding out of it, his pace increasing as his anger gave way to his worry. Gunter couldn't have gotten too far with Riza... besides, the place was a maze – but Roy Mustang would blow every single building and structure to bits until he found her.

When he stumbled out the back door of the damaged building, he began to immediately run through the streets – because Alaric, while not as bright as Dirk, was not stupid and Roy knew that he had taken his now late partner's advice and had made to ditch the scene, which meant he wasn't hiding. The search grew more and more agonizing as his desperation doubled when each street proved to be abandoned and his mind began to register the pain of his wound, the bullet deeply stuck in what he presumed might be a bone from the sharpness of the pain that shot through his spine with each movement.

Instead of Roy finding the two, though, it was them who found him. Walking down a street, Roy leaned against a wall and let a laboured breath escape his mouth – yep, it was _definitely _lodged in his bone. The Flame Alchemist stiffened when he heard banging behind him, but before he could turn, he heard the cocking of a gun and became immediately clear to him who it was when Riza's eyes caught sight of the blood running down his arm and she called out, "Colonel!"

Roy barely resisted spinning around at her voice, instead forcing himself to slowly crane his body to face them. As his eyes set upon them, his anger flared – Alaric still had a gun pressed to Riza's forehead and Riza was still helpless to escape the situation for his arms hadn't removed themselves from her neck, it seemed. "There you are, Mustang," Alaric grumbled, jabbing the gun at Riza to provoke the snappish Flame Alchemist.

Roy held up his left hand with the help of his right. "Dresden's dead, Gunter. And the MPs will be scouring this entire area soon—"

Alaric's eyes widened at the mention of his partner's death and the very real threat of military policemen searching the abandoned area, before they narrowed and he spat, "Shut the hell up. You know, I really think your intelligence has been overestimated – because you seem to be forgetting that _I _am the one who has a gun pointed at your precious Lieutenant's head here! I could end her life any moment I wanted – and forever make yours miserable! Or-!" He smiled deviously, "We could go along with the original plan. You can cooperate and I can spare this irritating bitch's life for those damned elusive secrets of yours. So I suggest you drop that hand, Colonel, because I won't hesitate to pull the trigger on her – just like that, she'll be gone, and it'll be all. Your. Fault."

Roy froze and dropped his hands as his mind cleared and his judgement was restored – along with his fear as he captured the equally-as-frightened look in Riza's eyes, and he felt all oxygen leave his chest when Gunter nudged the firearm against her temple again and he saw her bite her lip and swore he might have spotted tears growing in her eyes. "Don't do it," she mouthed, leaving the Flame Alchemist further paralyzed in the middle of the dark street. Even then, with her life being threatened right before her, Riza was remaining strong in her beliefs, that he should keep the ever-important secrets of Flame Alchemy to himself and that her life wasn't worth the trade, that she would willingly accept death if need be to keep everyone else in Amestris safe from the wrath of Gunter. And he knew that she believed that, but he wanted her to understand that he did not see it that way. He knew that keeping other people safe was a priority, but so was she to him, because she was the woman he loved and he needed to protect her as she did him. She had given up her life to be his bodyguard from the age of twenty two, and now it was his turn to return the favour – to protect Riza Hawkeye.

"God damnit, Mustang! Tell me what you know!" Alaric yelled, slamming the weapon into her head again with more force than before, causing Riza to silently cry out with what little breath her lungs were being allowed in that moment.

"Riza!" Roy called frantically at her, taking a dangerous step forward, and his eyes widened as they focussed on Alaric's finger tightening a fraction on the trigger.

"You know that you want her back, so just tell me!" Alaric repeated, though his tone was clearly much less controlled and his head was swinging around every few moments, paranoid of Roy's previous words.

"Even if I told you – you're not getting out of here alive, Gunter! So give it up and give me my Lieutenant back!" Roy tried to keep the begging tone out of his voice, but it was difficult for all he wanted to do was embrace Riza.

Alaric was just about to open his mouth to respond when the echoing sound of multiple footsteps was heard, and just as Roy had said, soldiers were making their way to the three of them. Gunter, in a desperate twitch, wrapped his thick arm around Riza's throat firmly, effectively cutting off her air supply completely. Riza began to choke, and Roy, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage, took several careful steps forward, words of Flame Alchemy on the tip of his tongue. "Stay back!" Alaric shouted at him, nearly tripping as he tried to put distance in between the two of them, scrambling back futilely. His hand was shuddering threateningly, spastically against the trigger, and Roy knew any sudden movement would set Gunter off and then—no!

"Roy, p-please, don't," she coughed, wheezing. The look in her eyes was pleading with him, but he couldn't, he wouldn't give up her just because that's what she wanted.

"I can't just do that to you," Roy murmured, dark eyes wide and vulnerable as he peered at her. He watched as Alaric's head swivelled to the right and his eyes caught the glimpse of the light of the MPs, getting nearer and nearer with each passing second. An idea, desperate and poorly-put together entered his mind then, and while it had a high rate of not working, of ending in complete disaster, he knew that he had to do it, that he had to take the risk despite the frantic, erratic beating in his chest – before something even worse happened, and he regretted everything. Now more than ever he needed to trust himself to be the person to protect the woman he loved.

"I'll shoot her!" Alaric yelled, "I don't care anymore! I'll shoot her dead, Mustang! I'll leave her as nothing but a corpse for you to mourn over!" He continued to dig the gun into her head, leaving a bloody dent where it hit, for emphasis, but when a shout was heard from his right again, Gunter let his guard down again and in that split second, Roy took his chance, anger and hatred and desperation all bubbling with him, and with the snap of his fingers, Alaric Gunter's head was blow clean off his neck. His body remained standing there for a few seconds afterwards, before collapsing ungracefully to the ground. Riza simply stared at his stump of a neck, his blood smeared across her cheeks and gashes deep in her skin as she fell against the pavement. Roy dropped his arm, sending a jolt of pain through his left side, before rushing over to her and taking her into his arms, pulling her a short distance away from the second mess he had created that night. When he peered down at Riza, tears were pouring uninhibitedly from her eyes, a petrified look reflecting in them – because despite all the death she had seen, she had caused, she had never been so close to it so as to have the victim's very blood soaking into her skin. She was gasping for breath as she tried futilely to calm herself, and Roy's system was flooding with relief as he hugged her to him, mindful of her bruises. He could hear her panicky, heavy breaths in his ear, and petting down her hair with his right arm and pressing his face into the crook of her neck, he whispered, "Y-You're safe now." But even his voice betrayed him, for his shook with unshed tears. After feeling her reciprocate the embrace, he pulled her back and wiped the red liquid and salty tears from her face to the best of his ability. He could see that despite the fact that she was now back with someone she could trust, with the person who loved her, that there was still fear in her irises and he regretfully knew it was from the explosion he had caused, the person he had murdered that she had had to witness so closely. Placing his forehead against her, his shaky hand found hers and squeezed, before pulling her to him again. "I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry I couldn't prevent everything you've been through," he whispered into her ear as MPs poured in the area and began to assess the scene. Roy couldn't help but feel that despite the fact that she was now back with him, that he was yet again the ultimate reason behind it all – that she was hurting because of him, like all the other times in the past. And this stung his already fragile heart in the moment.

Riza simply murmured something incoherent back, her fingers digging into his trench coat which he removed with much difficulty and placed around her before clutching her to him again. He couldn't find it in himself to pull away, feeling as though it was all a dream and that if he were to pull her from the contour of his frame she would disappear into dust and he would be forced to wake up and face reality. But no, this was the reality – that she was traumatized and hurt and Roy had inadvertently caused it.

Riza felt ridiculous as she sat there and cried against her superior officer, but even when she tried to tell herself to stop, she couldn't. There was too much pent up emotion that needed to be expressed, but before she could even begin to release her feelings into the world again, exhaustion began to seize her mind, days of sleeplessness seemingly catching up to her in that single moment. Slumping against him and allowing her eyelids to flutter back and forth, he quickly realized that she was succumbing to sorely-needed rest on her part, and so cradled her in his arms and began speaking nonsense, his own emotions overcoming him and spilling out of his mouth. There was so much he needed to say to her. "I was so worried about you," he bit his tongue, "I thought you were... _gone_, Riza. Gone. I was alone and I just couldn't stop thinking about you and about how I need you and how I'm so useless I can't even function day to day without you and... and how I _love_ you." He said it casually at first, but when he realized what he had uttered, he blinked and peered down at her, only to notice that she was barely conscious any longer. With a more reassured tone, he bent down and pressed a warm, soft kiss to her bloody brow and whispered, "I love you, Riza Hawkeye."

It was then that an MP finally acknowledged the pair, and was about to start asking questions when he noticed the literal hole gouged in Roy's arm. "Colonel Mustang!" he jumped, taken aback by the sight. "You need medical attention straight away!"

Roy's gentle gaze from before hardened then and slowly he pulled himself and Riza into a standing position, earning a little groan of protest from her. "No," he commanded firmly, gently pushing Riza forward and towards the military vehicles – no doubt packed to the rim with medical supplies. "She does. Out of my way, soldier." The MP simply nodded and scooted out of the way after catching a glimpse of Riza's worn, bloodied appearance.

Upon getting to the vehicles, Riza was cleaned up and treated first and foremost and Roy accepted a half-decent bandaging job before they were told that an ambulance was being dispatched to the area. As he waited with Hawkeye, his arm protectively draped around the drifting woman, a familiar face appeared to him, an uncharacteristic crease in the elder man's brow. "Roy," he started, though his tone was not friendly as per the usual.

"Grumman," Roy nodded tiredly at the man. The Lieutenant General watched as the Colonel turned Riza closer to him before giving her a smile when she gently laid her head on his shoulder.

Sighing, Grumman folded his hand behind his back and looked off into the distance. "You certainly did a number on those two," he started as though the topic of a double homicide was casual.

"They kidnapped her," Roy explained fiercely, immediately. "They had it coming. You don't mess with my subordinates unless you want to burn."

The older man gave Roy a slightly concerned look, before shaking his head and twiddling his moustache. There was a short silence before he murmured, "And would you like to tell old Grumman why they, exactly, took Lieutenant Hawkeye?" When he peered down at the Flame Alchemist, he was presented with a bitter look as the man stared off into the distance, clearly not wanting to talk about the incidents any further. Heaving a sigh, Grumman's tone grew warmer, happier, "Either way, Roy... I'm glad you were able to get her back. That much I must thank you for." And at that, the odd General trotted off towards where Alaric's body was laying. Roy blinked after him, not understanding his gratitude, but half-shrugged before putting his attention solely on Riza again.

It wasn't long after until the ambulance came, and Roy reluctantly stirred Riza from her sleep again so that she could be taken to the hospital. After some arguing with a paramedic and intervention from Grumman, Roy was allowed to ride in the back with Hawkeye. As the two paramedics closed the back doors and re-entered the vehicle so they could drive away, Roy took Riza's hands and rubbed circles on them in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. When she squirmed a bit in her sleep, he smoothed back her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead again, before his eyes brightened and he murmured against the skin, "I love you, Riza." The Lieutenant stirred in her sleep, turning to face Roy, and for the first times in weeks, a genuine, happy smile stretched across his features and he repeated himself. "I love you." At this, his hands enveloped hers and for the rest of the impossibly long trip, he was able to ignore his pain in favour for the ultimate comfort and content that surrounded him in that moment, brought on by the woman beside him simply being in his life again.

~P~

Riza Hawkeye's eyes fluttered open groggily, a dull pain settled in her head but nothing to complain about. As she tried to take in her surroundings, bright and starch white in her weary eyes, she easily came to the conclusion that she was in a hospital room, machines beeping about around her and the warm sun pouring into her room from the window. The reasons as to why she was there in the first place began to rush into her mind, but she pushed them out forcefully – she just needed a few moments of peace before facing everything that had happened to her. Her hair falling in her eyes as she thought, she was about to move her to hand to brush it away when she felt the pressure on it, and her eyes cast downwards to catch sight of her Colonel dozing lightly at the side of her bed, his hand wrapped firmly around hers.

She couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips as she watched his hair puff up from his breath and the peacefulness that covered his features. Pulling her other hand through his messy mop of dark hair, she felt him stir slightly before blinking blearily at her and shooting up, as though he had been shocked. "R-Riza," he breathed, and for a few seconds his eyes were flashing disbelievingly at her before he composed himself. "You're awake." It was still difficult, but incredibly relieving, for him to see her by his side once again.

Riza gave a light laugh that made him relax, before placing her hand on top of his. "That I am," she responded whisperingly. The scene between them was comfortably silent, but still, questions lingered that needed answers, and though she didn't want to disturb the peace that had settled between them, she knew she had to. Squeezing his hand, she avoided eye contact and murmured, "Are you all right?" Her eyes slowly took in the heavily-padded bandage of his upper left arm, guilt twisting in her stomach and chest as she waited for an answer.

Roy was taken aback – she was the one he considered to need the most medical attention – but responded promptly nonetheless. Returning her comforting squeeze, he answered, "Generally, I'm fine. It was just a bullet wound – nothing I haven't gone through before. But what about you?" He felt her tense at his words, before pressing on, "How are you? Not physically... but emotionally? Mentally? How are you doing?"

Riza's mind was in chaos as she finally allowed painful memory after memory bombard her, remembering how she watched her best friend get shot presumably to death, how she had been held and mistreated against her will, and how despite all her desperate urgings, Roy still came after her and still risked his safety. It was only when he touched her cheek that she became aware of the tears that were flooding from her eyes, and she refused to look at him still, instead jerking her hand away and clutching the bed sheets furiously. A few seconds passed – she didn't want to know the answer if it was what she suspected, but she had to – before she croaked, "Is she dead? Please... Is Rebecca dead, Roy?"

Roy's eyes widened, before bowing and shaking his head. A relief so intense washed over Riza in that moment that she could barely resist happily weeping at the news – she was all right, she was okay, her best friend was still alive and breathing and Riza was just so damn _glad_. Palming at her eye to quell the flow of tears, a brilliant grin spread on her features and she finally looked up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but could not find the words to express how she felt and so closed it again. Roy's lips curled in a smile back at her, before enveloping her hand in his again. "She's come by a few times – you've been out for a day or two. She's still here in the hospital, too, and I'm pretty sure she's sleeping right now... but when she gets the chance she'll be just as ecstatic to see you."

Riza blinked back her tears again and leaned into her pillows, and though she was filled with happiness, her previous thoughts still edged their way into her thought process and she frowned. The room was painfully quiet again when she whispered, "A-And them?" She didn't want to speak their names, and she didn't have to.

Roy grimaced and looked away, anger sparking in his mind once again. "They're dead, Riza," he answered bluntly, bitterly. "They burned and paid for their actions. A fitting death for those who played with fire but were unable to control it." When he turned back to her, he watched her nod slightly, taking in and processing the information. "But you haven't answered my question," he rubbed her hand comfortingly with his thumb, "are _you _all right?"

Riza dropped her head. "N-no," she replied honestly, the remembrance of him blowing Alaric's head clean off vividly passing through her brain, "but I will be. It's just going to take some time to sort out everything that's happened to me... to us."

Roy nodded at her, pulling his seat closer to her bed. "I'll be here with you to help as much as I can."

Riza turned away from him then, her mind now preoccupied with the two men who had held her captive for seemingly so long. Hawkeye barely feared anything – except for losing Roy and Rebecca – but as she thought back to Alaric and Dirk, it was all she could do not to shiver and have her mind seize up, scared. Her skin crawled as she thought of how Gunter had touched her and her ears rung as she heard the words of Dresden resounding in them as if he were still beside her, trying to force information out of her. Suddenly, as her mind fell deeper and deeper into those long days, she was brought back to the moment when Gunter had made the phone call to Roy, and how she had begged, pleaded with her Colonel to take into consideration all the risks and to not come after her. And though she was clearly glad to be safe again, she couldn't help it when the words tumbled out of her mouth, "Why did you do it? Why did you come after me even though there was so much at stake? I'm not _worth _the knowledge of Flame Alchemy yet you were so willing to give it up just for me. Why, Roy, _why_?" Her tone grew more and more desperate as she spoke, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact with him once again.

Roy's heart pricked at her words – she still didn't realize it, how much she meant to him and that even if was the stupider of the choices, there was no way he could go against taking the chance to get her back. Reaching up and turning her face to look back at him, he made sure that his tone was sure and steady, despite the frantic beating in chest as he spoke. "Simply put, Riza, I couldn't lose you. There was absolutely no way I could deny the small possibility to save you even if it went against what you wanted and I'm sorry for that. But how can you expect me to just forget about you in favour of a country? I wasn't thinking clearly, and even if I had, I still would have chosen you, because dammit—" _She needed to know!_ "I—"

"'Love you'?" Riza peered up at her, her gaze soft and flashing with comprehension while her cheeks flushed, recalling how softly he had spoken it to her just a few days before. Roy's eyes grew to an animated size before he blinked, swearing that his heart stopped and he was hearing things in that moment. When he swallowed at her, she knew he was silently asking for an explanation, and so with a short, nervous laugh, she turned to him. "I wasn't completely out of it when you told me... I-I heard every word."

It was Roy's turn to feel a heat crawling up his neck. "Every word?" he pulled a hand through his hair, eyes flickering back and forth between her and the floor.

Riza nodded, a smile stretching on her lips. "Yes."

They scene was quiet for a few moments before Roy cast his gaze to his hands, face fully red. "W-Well, this certainly the way I thought telling you would play out," he admitted whisperingly, a shaky chuckle in his voice as he spoke. A tension grew as nothing was said between them for a few beats, before Riza turned to him, her eyes painfully honest and gentle.

"I... I love you, too."

Roy froze, his mind going blank and his heart skipping a beat. Seconds passed, and the embarrassment in his system gave way to the swelling of his chest. Had he really just heard her correctly? Seeing the disbelieving look in his eyes made for Riza to shake her head and laugh again, and reaching over, she cupped his face and impulsively placed her lips against his. She applied a soft pressure as she waited for him to respond, which he all-too-happily did after finally comprehending that _yes, _the woman he loved was in fact kissing him and that he should probably reciprocate it. Raising a hand, he pulled it through her hair before placing it on the curve of her hip, careful of a bruise he knew resided there. Though the kiss remained tender, they held it for a long while, and when they pulled back, she reiterated her words against his lips, "I love you, Roy Mustang." He was the man she had known for years, the one she protected with her life and spent her days with, and she was irrevocably in love with him.

Roy's mind was not empty this time she spoke such words, instead spinning out of intense emotion flushing over him and his blood rushing in his ears. Smiling, he easily said back, "And I love you, Riza Hawkeye," before leaning in again and capturing her lips, his fingers finding her chin and tilting it so he could kiss her more deeply than before. When he pulled back, he laughed and said with a formal tone, "Lieutenant Hawkeye, I'm afraid there is no way I'm going to be able to permit you going on dates ever again. Unless, that is, they're with me."

Riza chuckled at him, before saluting. "I think I can handle that, sir." The pair shared another laugh before gazing at each other fondly, drifting closer and closer the longer they stared, before leaning their forehead against the other's and just holding one another, finally content now that they were back together.

~P~

**Author's Notes: ** JFC THIS TOOK FOREVER BUT I'M FINALLY DONE UGH FINALLLLLY! *sobs*

This took so long to finish... but I'm glad I didn't give up on it. You all know that I don't like starting fics and then abandoning them – it just doesn't feel right to invest so much time in something and then give up on it, and I started this a month ago so there was no way I was leaving it! XD I'm sorry if this is a mess and doesn't make sense in some areas.

I wrote this for a fellow Royai shipper on tumblr – it was a request that got a little out of hand lengthwise. Regardless, though, I hope you liked it if you got this far!


End file.
